Identifying and reviewing adaptation options with communities
IUCN @ Milton Navarro
Achieving flexible governance for adaptation
Map communities in the Esquicha river basin / Mapa de comunidades presentes en la microcuenca Esquichá
IUCN
Governance options and responses for adaptation to climate change are new and must be constantly evolving; desicions and governance pklan need to be flexible; hence adaptation must move forward under a flexible approach. This is possible with the application of EbA measures with a "learning by doing" while using best available sicientific information on climate scenarios and informing policy local and national instruments.
Climate vulnerability in Esquichá was assessed using the CRiSTAL tool ( “Community-based Risk Screening Tool – Adaptation and Livelihoods.")
After a first planing of EbA activities, actions for integrating flexibility were:
- The periodic evaluation of field EbA actions and the adoption of short-term decisions
- Monitoring and evaluation results will be key to include important adjustments
- Inclusion of EbA measures in the Microbasin Management Plan
- Assessment of measures to inform the municipality Development Plan.
- Informing of results to competent authorities as the municipality of the Forest Institute (INAB). This has lead INAB to seek tools to improve the way incentives are assigned and to identify communities located in key water catchment areas.
- Political interest in mainstreaming EbA and water security criteria into forest incentives programs has grown.
- Political interest of the municipality of Tacaná.
- Tecnical capacity of the municipality of Tacaná.
- The information must integrate the sciences (physical, biological, economic and social) with traditional and indigenous knowledge.
- The "action learning" or “learning by doing” approach is a key part of achieving flexibility in adaptation governance. Constant improvements should always be sought and those practices, strategies and policies that contribute to increasing socio-environmental resilience should be appraised. As a result of this approach, members of the Esquichá River Microbasin Council are more aware, on the one hand, of the legal and policy frameworks that facilitate multidimensional governance and the articulation required to address climate change and, on the other, of the need to monitor and evaluate, over time, the benefits that ecosystems bring for adaptation and local livelihoods.